Michigan

Muskegon Player of the Year: Kat Tyson changes her game, steps up in new roles for North Muskegon tennis

North Muskegon's No. 1 singles player Kat Tyson goes to hit the ball during the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association girls tennis tournament at Whitehall High School on May 3, 2014. Tyson was named the 2014 MLive Muskegon Chronicle Tennis Player of the Year. (MLive File Photo)

In her senior season for North Muskegon, Tyson made the switch from doubles to singles.

This meant that for the first time in three years, she didn’t have someone beside her, someone to talk to while on the court.

Kat Tyson (Coutesy Photo)

“In doubles, I was notoriously loud,” said Tyson, who was named the MLive Muskegon Chronicle Tennis Player of the Year. “(My partner and I) would always be talking to each other. When I didn’t have that anymore, I just kept doing it, but with myself.”

It proved to be more difficult from an emotional standpoint for Tyson, not having another person there to vent to, to cheer on.

Moving to singles actually toned down her power and coerced Tyson to become more consistent. As a result, she became more patient and fought her opponents with silence.

“Sometimes I lack any emotion during the game; to my opponent I don’t really show them any sign of frustration,” Tyson said. “I stay in my own head.”

One of the main rules for a lineup is that a coach has to place his No. 1 player at singles. So, coach Joe Gentle decided he would play whoever beat everyone else on his team – which ended up being Tyson.

When told of her new role, Tyson didn’t expect the success that would come her way.

“I had never been a singles player before in my life and was coming into the season thinking I was going to lose everything,” Tyson said. “And the fact that I won the city tournament was amazing.”

Tyson posted an 18-8 record in her first and only season in singles.

Earlier in the season, she finished first in the Reeths-Puffer tournament. Then she earned the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association city championship by winning the No. 1 singles title with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win in the finals.

However, not everything changed for Tyson. She was still a creature of habit in her routine leading up to a match.

“I have eaten the same thing for the last four years,” Tyson said. “I have a banana, a ruta bar and a sugar-free Red Bull every time. I listen to music while I’m warming up and I wore the same headband every single match and wouldn’t change it.”

As North Muskegon’s lone senior, Tyson was thrown into another role – a leader. Gentle saw her begin to accept that role before the season even began.

Back in March when the Norse couldn't play outside, the team used some practices mostly for conditioning, Gentle said. During those practices, Tyson brought and set up her little speaker with music and led some very demanding strength and stretching workouts.

While leading in warmups, Gentle said she could be seen giving words of encouragement and often spoke to the team before matches. Without her knowing, Tyson became the most influential player on the team.

After the successful season, Tyson plans on attending Central Michigan University and will major in biomedical sciences. The girl who is known for talking to herself on the court will work toward yet another role – becoming a neurosurgeon.

“Kat had outstanding results on the court, but she was so much more to the team than a tennis player,” Gentle said. “She was our yoga instructor. She was our cheerleader. She was a player/coach. She was Captain Kat.”